CFS & Fibromyalgia Living With Problems Showering With Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS By Adrienne Dellwo Adrienne Dellwo LinkedIn Adrienne Dellwo is an experienced journalist who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and has written extensively on the topic. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 13, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Huma Sheikh, MD Medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Huma Sheikh, MD, is board-certified in neurology and specializes in migraine and stroke. She co-founded the migraine and vascular section for the American Headache Society. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked Verywell Health content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Marley Hall Fact checked by Marley Hall LinkedIn Marley Hall is a writer and fact checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. Learn about our editorial process Print A morning shower seems like a basic, harmless thing to most people. But taking a shower can pose major problems for people with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). If you have one of these conditions, you may have thought it was just you who had this issue, but rest assured that it isn't. Several of the symptoms of these conditions can combine to make you go straight from the shower and back to bed for the rest of the day. How's that possible? Greg Kessler/Getty Images Exertion Especially for those with ME/CFS, even small amounts of exertion can be too much. That's due to a symptom called post-exertional malaise, which is a defining characteristic of this disease. People with fibromyalgia don't have post-exertional malaise, but some have a similar type of exercise intolerance. A shower takes more energy than people tend to recognize. You're standing the whole time. You do a fair amount of bending, stretching, and reaching while vigorously lathering up your head and body. When you consider that people often have to start a new "exercise" routine with two repetitions of a simple movement, like a yoga pose, you can see how showering may just be too much work for some people. Too Much Relaxation The hot water of a shower can be relaxing, which is great when it comes to tight muscles and connective tissues. However, for those who deal with profound fatigue, it's probably not the best thing for them early in the day, when they are still fighting to wake up. Both of these conditions can overlap with sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome. They also both involve unrefreshing sleep. That can leave you extremely tired during the day. If you need to be up and functional, the last thing you need is to relax. Temperature Sensitivities While the hot water may feel good, it can also get temperature sensitivity going and throw off homeostasis. When you get heated up like that, it's a lot of work to cool back down to normal. Some people get so overheated that they sweat profusely after a shower. In some cases, temperature sensitivity can lead to other symptoms to kick up as well, so it pays to be careful and avoid this symptom. Dizziness People with ME/CFS are prone to dizziness thanks to a symptom called orthostatic intolerance. Basically, that means they get dizzy upon standing up. It's caused by an abnormal blood-pressure drop. The heat of the shower combined with the motions of washing (bending down to wash your legs, for instance) can have your body working overtime to keep your sense of balance. Dizzy spells in a hot shower are very scary, especially when you consider where you'll land if you fall. The causes of dizziness in fibromyalgia are different from those that cause it in ME/CFS, but the end result is the same. Heightened Nerve Response Especially in fibromyalgia, the pressure of water hitting your skin can get your nerves riled up. For some, it hurts while they're under the spray. In others, it might not hurt during the shower, but the stimulation on their over-reactive nerves could get their bodies sending erroneous pain signals and making them hurt all over. This phenomenon is called allodynia, which is pain caused by something that wouldn't normally hurt. There's a thermal form of allodynia that could make the heat of a shower even harder to tolerate. Allodynia is almost universal in fibromyalgia and some people with ME/CFS experience it, as well. Getting Around the Problems The most obvious way to avoid some of these problems is to take a bath. That's a better option when you're talking about dizziness, exertion, and heightened nerve response. And if the hot water has a negative impact on you, you can always opt for cooler water or even milk. A bath also tends to steam up the bathroom less, so you may have an easier time cooling off when you get out. If even a bath is too much exertion for you, or if it's not an option (say, for someone who doesn't have a bathtub), you might want to keep cleansing wipes and dry shampoo on hand so you can freshen yourself up. Facial cleansing wipes or, for those with fragrance sensitivities, unscented baby wipes, could be good options. A shower stool might also be helpful. Sitting down means you'll be doing less bending and stretching and could prevent dizziness while conserving energy. For those who get too relaxed in a bath or shower, it might be better to take it at night instead of in the morning. It might help you get to sleep, which is always a good thing. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn about treatment and lifestyle changes to cope with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Keech A, Sandler CX, Vollmer-conna U, Cvejic E, Lloyd AR, Barry BK. Capturing the post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue following physical and cognitive challenge in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Psychosom Res. 2015;79(6):537-49. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.08.008 Jackson ML, Bruck D. Sleep abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a review. J Clin Sleep Med. 2012;8(6):719–728. doi:10.5664/jcsm.2276 Larson AA, Pardo JV, Pasley JD. Review of overlap between thermoregulation and pain modulation in fibromyalgia. Clin J Pain. 2014;30(6):544-555. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e3182a0e383 Vincent A, McAllister SJ et al. A report of the autonomic symptom profile in patients with fibromyalgia. J Clin Rheumatol. 2014;20(2):106-8. doi:10.1097/RHU.0b013e3182a225dd Cassisi G, Sarzi-puttini P, Casale R, et al. Pain in fibromyalgia and related conditions. Reumatismo. 2014;66(1):72-86. doi:10.4081/reumatismo.2014.767